Boston suspect: No rehearsal before attacks carried out

Apr. 24, 2013
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Police say this image shows Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, in the white hat, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, in the black hat, at the Boston Marathon. This image was taken approximately 10-20 minutes before the blast that killed three and injured more than 260. / Bob Leonard, AP

by Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

by Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

The deadly Boston Marathon attacks were launched without a rehearsal before the coordinated bombs were detonated seconds apart, the surviving suspect has told federal investigators.

A federal law enforcement official, who has been briefed on the matter, said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told a special interrogation team that he and his brother did not attempt a test fire of the powerful pressure-cooker devices before planting them near the crowded finish line of the race. The twin bombs killed three and wounded 264. Several remain hospitalized.

Tsarnaev, 19, remains hospitalized in Boston under heavy guard after his arrest Friday evening in Watertown. Tamerlan, 26, died following a police shootout early Friday morning.

Meanwhile, a review of Russia's contacts with the U.S. authorities, shows that six months after the Russians asked the FBI to review the activities of Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, Russian authorities made an identical request to the CIA.

The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly, said the CIA was aware of the FBI's prior review- which turned up nothing improper - and referred the Russian request back to the FBI.

The CIA is prohibited from conducting intelligence operations on U.S. soil.

The FBI, which had closed its review on Tsarnaev in June 2011 after sharing its results with Russian officials, again contacted their Russian counterparts, asking if they had developed additional information on him.

But the federal official said Russian authorities never responded.

"It wasn't like the request they made to the FBI contained new information,'' the official said. "It was exactly the same document.''